6 AM and a little MaineWorks Circle is inside today protected from the freezing rain and snow....and Margo Walsh has asked this employee to read Derek Walcott's poem LOVE AFTER LOVE. And though MaineWorks is all about work and boots and time cards, MaineWorks is truly about moments like this. And she asks what is it you want to FEEL this new year. Not DO. Or GET. What is it you want to feel?
'I want to feel peace.'
I want to know forgiveness.'
'I want to know who I am.'
'I want to let go of resentments.'
'I want to be less stressed.'
And I am in a little circle of humanity. A circle of humanity looking to become more human. Less stressed by external stuff. More in alignment with who they really are.
I am smitten.
Ferry Terminal Broadcasting Dawn
Dawn delivers and the terminal receives.
Under Cover
Under Cover
Proud of you Steve Lawrence.
Proud of you Steve Lawrence.
Former MaineWorks employee and friend Steve Lawrence joined us at todays circle at 6 AM in the snow. His journey has been, like many others, torturous, agonizing and tough.
And today he shared this smile. Born of making an amends, a difficult one, that then led to a donation to Maine Recovery Fund that directly assists MaineWorks employees.
Standing in that circle you could feel that awful reckoning and that profound relief and the joy of that unexpected generosity. That his painful amends led to a direct giving to the circle of employees he had emerged from. A story of giving back achieved when he least expected it. Congratulations on your personal journey and your truth telling. You are a Pioneer of Recovery and MaineWorks thanks you.
The Final Say
The Final Say
The Odyssey of Recovery.
The Odyssey of Recovery. The weight of what we do not reveal. The damage done to self. To others. The difficulty of truth telling. The relief of truth telling. The unexpected gifts of it all. Broken. Then, broken open.
In a little circle in the middle of a storm we stand shoulder to shoulder. Maybe it's not much but it's a start. It's a connection. It is community.
This is Dave, the gentleman who was celebrated this morning...
Dear Anonymous,
This is Dave, the gentleman who was celebrated this morning by a family member showing up at 6 AM with hats, socks, blankets, neck warmers and food for the folks on the street. RIP Dave, always in our hearts.
Yup, so THAT'S what it looks like...
Yup, so THAT'S what it looks like between the dock and the float on icy rungs and rubber boots. I have no idea how you Heroes of the Working waterfront do this ALL THE TIME.
Mike maybe just a little self conscious...
Dear Anonymous,
Mike maybe just a little self conscious and a Dear Anonymous, not so anonymous, stopping by with resources to share...and photographed with permission.
Mike shared stories of delivering the toys to the kids yesterday and on Christmas Eve. About getting right down on the ground to play with them. He leaves today with a bag of handknit hats to distribute and a bag of baked goods.
The Dear Anonymous arrived with a donation of resources in memory of a cousin who lived and died close to these same streets. It was a beautiful giving forward. Have I told you just how many people have done this? People, who in their loss and grief, show up again and again with resources to help provide at least a bit of comfort to those struggling out here? And the guys hear this and recognize the gravity. Some are able to hold the ferocious love of a handknit hat made with them in mind. Made with a memory of someone who knew this kind of life.
Thank you dear Anonymous.
Old Speck
Old Speck
The weight of gravity and our need to breathe.
The weight of gravity and our need to breathe.
No light. Everybody moving...
Dear Anonymous,
No light. Everybody moving...but this image is still evidence none the less of connection. A Dear Anonymous, showing up at 6AM with blankets, handknit hats, socks, fleece neck warmers and a bag of home baked goodies. The smile on her face tells the story. The attention of the 'boys' tells another. Thank you. This was done in memory of her cousin who lived on or near the streets and passed away a year or so ago. She did this in his memory to help out a few others along the way. She stayed. She spoke. She hugged. Thank you Dear Anonymous.
Between This and That Where It All Seems to Happen
You were the constellation LOON. The one I never did see in the night sky.
You were the constellation LOON. The one I never did see in the night sky.
To sit by your side like this.
To sit by your side like this. As significant as a birth. No less significant than a death. I will hold hands.
Falmouth Town Landing.
Falmouth Town Landing.
Rock bottom turns out to be a beautiful place at times.
Rock bottom turns out to be a beautiful place at times.
As if nothing were happening.
As if nothing were happening.
He is waiting with others. Fairly mild out and that's a grace. He is kind and willing to be photographed.
Dear Anonymous,
He is waiting with others. Fairly mild out and that's a grace. He is kind and willing to be photographed. He makes contact with the camera, with the lens, with the light and I am always grateful.
Everybody seems a bit out of sorts. Resentments. Unspoken frustrations. Holiday contact with family not always a great thing.
A coffee card can only go so far. And socks. And these beautiful sweatshirts and fleece hats recently donated. Thank you for all of this. Because often, in the moment it is far enough.
The Way It Works
The Way It Works